Guided Missile
Guided Missile is a vehicle specialization available in Battlefield 3. It also appears in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 as part of the Alternate Weapon Package. There are several models used, depending on the Vehicle. US Planes use the AGM-65 Maverick, Russian planes use the Kh-29 (AS-14 Khedge), US Helicopters use the AGM-114 Hellfire, Russian Helicopters use the 9M120 ATAKA-V (AS-9 Spiral), and IFV guided missiles fire from their factions' respective TOW Launchers. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 The Alternate Weapon Package for Attack Helicopters adds a guided Hellfire missile system; the co-pilot gains the ability to launch a tracer dart onto which the pilot-launched missile can lock, provided the pilot has the specialization equipped. Battlefield 3 |-|Ground/Helicopter = |-|Jet = The Guided Missile vehicle specialization appears in Battlefield 3 as a secondary weapon for Attack Helicopters, Scout Helicopters, Jet Fighters and Infantry Fighting Vehicles. It operates and performs on par with the infantry-held FGM-148 Javelin and Main-Battle-Tank-launched Guided shells, with the Jet variant having a much faster travel speed out of all. Like similar weapons like the Javelin and Guided Shell, the Guided Missile is an guidance-type requiring an initial vehicle target lock before being fired. Once fired, the munition will guide itself towards the target. The Jet Fighter's AGM-65 Maverick and Kh-29D respectively have a much faster travel speed and velocity that the ground and helicopter-launched AGM-114 Hellfire and 9M120 Ataka-V and IFV launched missiles. The munition generates a powerful splash damage upon contact with any target and has the capability of damaging and destroying structures such as walls and levelling some buildings. The Guided Missile can only initially lock-on to and guide itself towards ground-based vehicles, but the weapon is Laser-Designation compatible, which allows the vehicle operator to engage both ground and aerial targets effectively at almost any range with ease, save for those too far away from the lock range. The Laser-Painter for Scout and Attack Helicopters allows the pilot (Attack Helicopter) or passenger (Scout Helicopter) to Laser-Designate targets on-the-go and assists greatly in the dispatch of any and all vehicles within the Guided Missile's range of effective operation. All Guided Missiles fired towards Laser-Designated targets will perform a 'Top-Down' attack which deals a damage boost. The Guided Missile is an excellent tool for dispatching targets at further ranges where the default FFAR or cannons may not reach accurately. The Guided Shell carries a small amount of explosive, enabling it to generate light splash damage within a limited radius upon impact that can damage or kill nearby infantry. All shots of the shell are negated when impacting Reactive Armor and can be spoofed by IR Smoke. If effective countermeasures are not present, targeted vehicle may choose to take cover behind structures or underneath roof of buildings. Range and source of the incoming shell must be established (or guessed) in order to take cover from the munition at the precise angle of its entry. To operate, the vehicle operator must select the secondary weapon of the Jet Aircraf, Helicopter or IFV. The open-cross-hair (IFV) and square-cross (Air Vehicles) HUD icon and text display on the bottom (text display: 'A.G.M Ready') of the screen will indicate when or whether the primary weapon and shell is equipped, ready to fire, or reloading. Once selected, the operator must aim, await lock tone and fire at the target with the primary fire button. The Guided Missile's damage is consistent at all angles of impact. The weapon has a relatively slow reload time than other weapons such as the Rocket Pods, 25mm cannons or miniguns, requiring a full 10 seconds to fully reload, lock on and fire. The operator could instead choose to cycle between weapons whilst the other is under a reload phase for a continuous attack. The Guided Missile of all variants can also lock onto hostile or unoccupied equipment such as Mortars or Radio Beacons. Hostile infantry or light vehicles can be damaged or killed when within close proximity of the equipment by the time the warhead reaches and detonates at the target point. Alternatively, the player can choose to play as a Recon Class and equip themselves with a SOFLAM and proceed to enter the a vehicle equipped with Guided Missiles. The player can then place down the SOFLAM in positions which covers a wide area, especially areas where vehicle traffic tends to be frequent and then proceed to re-enter their vehicle. Once targets are locked, the player can persistently bombard enemy vehicles with the Guided Missile indefinitely from a more secluded and secure position, dealing massive damage and keeping enemy armor and air vehicles away. The player can then exit the vehicle and re-adjust targets with the SOFLAM and repeat the above steps for maximum efficiency and destructive power without the need to resupply as with the FGM-148 Javelin or other similar launchers. Be aware that this tactic may be halted if the SOFLAM itself is destroyed, and must be resupplied from an Ammo Box in order to continue. This tactic may be extremely difficult to perform in a Jet Fighter, as it may require the vehicle to land before adjusting targets and thus, not recommended. When focusing on a more anti-vehicle, anti-armor-orientated combat role, the operator may choose to equip the Guided Missiles for ease of engagement of vehicles at longer ranges out of the effectiveness or the primary cannons or inaccurate Rocket Pods from ranges. To compensate for the lack of infantry-orientated weapons, the vehicle operator can choose to employ a secondary gunner, or in more convenient (or desperate) situations, switch to the secondary gunner position themselves temporarily to dispatch hostile infantry before switching back to the driver/pilot seat or to employ the their primary weapon as a last resort. When targeting hostile vehicles head on, the presence of Reactive Armor, either equipped by the vehicle operator or the enemy vehicle can mean the difference between victory or defeat. For air vehicles, a combination of primary weapon strafing fire followed up by a Guided Missile strike can ensure target destruction. Bear in mind the lock-on tone of a vehicle armed with guided munition may give away their position and presence to hostile targets. Damage statistics & effects The following is a list of effects and damage to specific vehicle types from impacts by the Guided Missile. Vehicles not listed are vehicles which are instantly destroyed upon shell impact at any angle. Such includes Dirt Bikes and Quad Bikes with or without Laser Designation. Damage result gathered from aircraft are acquired by placing the vehicle between a lockable source and the launch source and firing at the target. Damage results are measured in 'Damage-per-Missile' (D.P.M) Damage is consistent at all angles of impact. *''Guided Missiles impacting aircraft due to obstruction/collateral damage deal '0' damage value. Reason unclear.'' **''Signifies unavailable data. (RHIB Boats cannot gain target lock via normal means unless Laser-Designated. Reason unclear.'' Gallery AGMTarget.png|Guided Missile (AGM-64 Maverick) targeting camera of F/A-18 Super Hornet. AGMFire.png|Guided Missile being fired and in flight. AGMStrike.png|Guided Missile striking armored targets. BF3_SJ_AGM.png|Helicopter AGM-114 Hellfire in flight (bottom left) BF3_SJ_AGM_HUD.png|Helicopter Guided Missile HUD display. Trivia Battlefield: Bad Company 2 * Battlefield 3 * The Guided Missile Specialisation icon is that of the North American AGM-64 Maverick. *Guided Missiles can lock onto and destroy players using the M224 Mortar, since the mortar counts as a vehicle in gameplay terms. The Guided Missiles can also lock onto and destroy enemy Recon equipment in similar fashion. *The Guided Missile equipped on Jet Fighters are known to be horrendously unreliable without the assistance of Laser Designation, more often than not missing the target completely after being fired, even when targeting and guiding itself towards motionless target. This error is fixed in its Battlefield 4 successor, the Laser Guided *The Guided Missile regularly fails to display "hit markers" even when the missile successfully makes contact with the target. Category:Specializations of Battlefield 3 Category:Specializations of Battlefield 4